Cater is starting to think that his lack of sleep from the night before is getting to him. It must be that, and then using his unique magic, and making all those pancakes, because he can't take his eyes off of Idia's fingers, his mouth, his throat...
"Yeah?" Anime! The anime! Focus, you weirdo. Cater sips his coffee, mentally shaking himself. The caffeine will certainly help. "Yeah! It's good. I mean I don't have the kind of know-how you do, but I downloaded a manga reader on my phone so you can rec me things you don't have with you here."
Idia scoffs but it's more of a light, teasing sound. "Psh, it's EZ to follow. Even though the twists are awesome, they make sure you know what's going on."
He pulls his tablet over, using that so the main screen stays clear for viewing. Tapping away while his eyes stay mostly fixed on the show, he quickly pulls up a PM on Magicam and sends a list of about ten or twelve titles to Cater. "There, that'll get you started. Sorted by genre, of course. Gotta match your mood when you read."
Pulling out his phone to browse the message gives Cater a good excuse to stop watching Idia like some kind of deviant. He looks with mild interest at the titles, but he'll give it more thought later, when he's alone. For now, he stashes the phone away again before he loses himself in the lure of Magicam updates, which he has to admit he's slightly itching to check. Gotta like for like, and all that.
"Between these and DC, I'm barely going to have any time to take pics," he jokes. "Soon you'll catch me on my new Magicam blog: Let's Read with Cater Diamond!"
"Not a bad idea." Idia shrugs. "If you get more people to read good stuff, they'll keep making more. So everybody wins, GG."
He rakes a hand through his burning hair, undoing some of the tangles that make it even more wild. Of course, this also sends it over the back and arms of his chair. It's just... everywhere. The way it makes Cater's coffee can glow is kinda pic-worthy, but there's also the fact that it's now in closer reach. Would it burn Cater's fingers?
Well, the self-control lasted for a minute, at least, but it’s hard when Idia’s hair is just so…gorgeous. He’s always admired it. Never really been able to properly appreciate it the way he’s wanted. This might be his best chance.
“Hey, random question but I’ve gotta ask: anyone ever style your hair? Or do you have to take care of it yourself?” He wants to throw caution to the wind and touch it, but that would be hella rude.
Idia glances over with a confused expression. "S-- style my hair? Um... other than that one time when the crazy ghost bride had me reskinned for a wedding? No way. I don't do much with it. Not like it really gets dirty or that tangled."
Why is Cater asking about his hair? Oh no, don't tell him he's about to end up the victim of another makeover! Heartslabyul is all about bright colors and crazy patterns, stuff that will clash with Idia's coloring and natural gloom.
“Right, yeah, I never really see you touch it.” Well, what the hell. This school is so full of beauty queens that he might as well just say what he’s thinking, right? It won’t be too strange. “I’ve just always loved looking at your hair, and I’ve been curious what it feels like for a long time, or what it would look like if you pulled it up. NDB.”
Idia's eyes widen a bit more. Cater likes his hair? The symbol of the Shroud curse? Well, it's definitely unusual even in NRC, not even the fae students have anything like it. But now Cater wants to touch it?
"A-- are you a pyro?" Maybe that's why the flames fascinate the other boy. Idia's not even sure if normal people can touch it. The fire doesn't hurt him, but it's his own hair. He's never let anyone else get close enough to really try, aside from the ghosts that did him up for Eliza.
The question makes his cheeks turn red. Okay, maybe it was still weird for Idia. “No! No, of course not! I just think you’re beautiful!”
Wait, what did he say?
“Your—your hair. The way it lights up the area around you and flickers. It’s really enchanting.” No, that doesn’t fix it. His face feels even hotter. “Ugh, forget it. I’m unsubscribing from myself.”
Drinking his coffee with purpose, he plasters his eyes back to the screen. Anime, please cleanse him.
Idia sits frozen, gaping at Cater as his hair slowly turns more and more pink, casting a good part of his room into a rosy glow or mixing with the blue light of holo-screens to make lavender.
WTF?! WTF OMG SKULL EMOJI!! Cater just called him beautiful?! Did he eat something weird in Alchemy class or the Greenhouse?! Is this a prank?! Pause and quick-save, Idia can't handle this!
With a whimper, he abruptly pulls his hood up to envelop as much of his head as possible, though a majority of his hair is still hanging out the front as there is way too much to stuff in there. Maybe he should get it cut for better hiding, but that would take effort and going out... unless he just chops it short with scissors. What does he care how he looks?!
The worst tragedy of all is that he doesn’t even get to admire the changing of Idia’s hair before it gets stashed away. Ugh, what is going on with him? Seriously, can you catch social ineptitude just by being around it for too long?
He keeps quiet until (aside from the anime) he can’t stand the silence anymore and let’s put a loud groan.
“I’m sorry! I just wanted to have a good time hanging out with you, I swear! I’m just really tired, I’m super off right now. You must think I’m a total freak.” Cater leans back until he hits the wall, running his hands in irritation through his hair. “I feel like I keep freaking you out, but I’m not trying to, really. Somehow I just have no idea how to talk to you.”
There's no answer for a long time, long enough that Cater might start to wonder if Idia wants him to leave. The visible parts of Idia's hair are still softly pink like cherry blossoms, no trace of any other color. The tense atmosphere is stifling, if not outright suffocating.
Finally, in a tremulous whisper, comes Idia's mortified voice: "I-- it's not like I know how to talk to anyone outside of VOIP. Text to speech is my aimbot." Since aimbots are definitely cheats, that speaks volumes over how Idia feels about needing the app. It's a crutch and he knows it, but he can't let it go.
But... he's been talking to Cater more, hasn't he?
Even though the tension is still beyond oppressive, Cater lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He’s not being kicked out, and he doesn’t necessarily feel like running as much as he just feels like punching himself in the face. A job for Cater B after classes are over.
“And I thought I knew how to talk to everyone,” he says, thinking out loud. So why is it that around Idia he has no control over his charm?
“We really are total opposites, aren’t we?”
Except he’s getting worse while Idia is improving. How’s that for a plot twist?
Another long pause with the sound of breathing and cheerful anime filling the gap, and Idia slowly emerges a bit from his hood. He still looks a bit like a sakura tree in full bloom. He bites his lip carefully, eyes downcast.
"Y-- you can t-- touch it if... if you want t-- to...."
Idia nods, still chewing his lip. He won't make eye contact but he's not shaking and he doesn't look afraid or totally freaked out. The wispy curls gently twist and wave with a life of their own, more now with the quiet anxiety he's holding back for Cater's sake.
If Cater was a less selfish person, he’d maybe take Idia’s quiet resolution as a sign that he should maybe back off and not just do something that he wants.
Buuuuut he is selfish and he’s wanted to do this for three years. Sliding over to the very edge of the bed, Cater slowly raises one hand up and reaches over.
He can feel the warmth radiating off of the strands. Time to do or die. In another YOLO movement, he commits, plunging his fingers into the glowing waves.
The first thing he might notice is how soft those underlying clear strands are, followed by a warmth like resting his hand in a sunbeam. Pink flames drift and crackle around his skin without burning him. There are some small knots and tangles, but they do little to ruin the experience.
"I-- it's not hot, is it...?" Idia sounds unsure, worried. His fingers fidget in his lap again, a tiny spot of blood on his lower lip from where a tooth poked too hard.
"No, no, it's...it's warm." It's incredible. He was definitely half expecting to pull back a scalded hand but it's so, so nice. Letting the strands flow through his fingers, he can't stop a dopey grin from forming on his face, lit up from the glow of the pink light, green eyes full of wonder. "It's not at all like how I imagined!"
Idia can't see Cater's grin since he's still averting his eyes, but his obvious shyness pervades every inch of his posture and expression. He can't bring himself to say how nice it feels to have someone touch his hair so gently, but as Cater strokes through the flames Idia finds himself gradually relaxing. The seconds roll by, and Idia shows no signs of asking Cater to stop.
"It comes from my family's curse," he mumbles. "Long, old story, but the whole bloodline looks like this. Helps us deal with being around blot, for our research." That's simplifying it a lot, but Idia's already burdened Cater with far more of his history than he'd ever wanted to.
Cater’s own expression loses a bit of its glee as he twists Idia’s hair around his finger. With his gaze focused on the way the flames seem to dance, it’s easy to find himself falling down a rabbit hole of thought. They say a curse can be a blessing. Maybe that’s why this is all so incredible, but he can tell how big of a burden it is on Idia, so doesn’t try and minimize the weight of it.
“I tried to find out more about your family, but they’re pretty secretive, huh?” Certain things were known. The wealth, some of their big time affiliates. Now there were posts about the NRC incident, of course. But everything deeper was clearly kept away from the public eye.
Idia nods, humming a bit in thought. "Directors of STYX, a research group for the study of blot and Overblotting. It's why all the Overblot victims here were taken, so we could analyze them. My parents... they left me as acting director while they're away on a project."
It goes unsaid that Idia was directly responsible for the kidnappings of the previous Overblot victims. He doesn't want to say it out loud. Hopefully Cater is smart enough to get the implications of what he's just been told, because admitting all the awful things he did isn't easy for Idia now that those people are kind of his friends.
Cater clicks his tongue. Leaving their kid to deal with his kidnapped classmates? Sounds like a whole lot of bad parenting. But then, considering how little he’s clearly coped with his brother’s death for a decade, Cater isn’t too shocked. Idia must feel so invisible around his own family. That, if nothing else, is something he understands.
Not that he’s about to put himself on the same level as the Shroud.
“That sounds complicated,” he says, deciding not to try and bring up anything that might be too painful. “It’s a good thing you’re such a genius you can analyze anything. If I had that kind of responsibility I’d be an even bigger letdown! LOL.”
Idia finally glances over at his companion, his hair long enough not to pull from Cater's hand. Those intense, sad eyes pin the ginger the way they did the other day. "I think you probably have a higher INT stat than you give yourself credit for. You just have different side quest priorities than me."
Did... did he just tell Cater not to discredit his own brain?
Inexplicably, Cater feels his heart do a flip as their eyes meet. There's something about the deep sadness in those shimmering hues that makes them even more beautiful. Maybe because he wants so badly to see them smiling. Emergency. Cater sticks out his tongue. "Aw, Idia, I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!"
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"Yeah?" Anime! The anime! Focus, you weirdo. Cater sips his coffee, mentally shaking himself. The caffeine will certainly help. "Yeah! It's good. I mean I don't have the kind of know-how you do, but I downloaded a manga reader on my phone so you can rec me things you don't have with you here."
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He pulls his tablet over, using that so the main screen stays clear for viewing. Tapping away while his eyes stay mostly fixed on the show, he quickly pulls up a PM on Magicam and sends a list of about ten or twelve titles to Cater. "There, that'll get you started. Sorted by genre, of course. Gotta match your mood when you read."
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"Between these and DC, I'm barely going to have any time to take pics," he jokes. "Soon you'll catch me on my new Magicam blog: Let's Read with Cater Diamond!"
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He rakes a hand through his burning hair, undoing some of the tangles that make it even more wild. Of course, this also sends it over the back and arms of his chair. It's just... everywhere. The way it makes Cater's coffee can glow is kinda pic-worthy, but there's also the fact that it's now in closer reach. Would it burn Cater's fingers?
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“Hey, random question but I’ve gotta ask: anyone ever style your hair? Or do you have to take care of it yourself?” He wants to throw caution to the wind and touch it, but that would be hella rude.
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Why is Cater asking about his hair? Oh no, don't tell him he's about to end up the victim of another makeover! Heartslabyul is all about bright colors and crazy patterns, stuff that will clash with Idia's coloring and natural gloom.
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"A-- are you a pyro?" Maybe that's why the flames fascinate the other boy. Idia's not even sure if normal people can touch it. The fire doesn't hurt him, but it's his own hair. He's never let anyone else get close enough to really try, aside from the ghosts that did him up for Eliza.
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Wait, what did he say?
“Your—your hair. The way it lights up the area around you and flickers. It’s really enchanting.” No, that doesn’t fix it. His face feels even hotter. “Ugh, forget it. I’m unsubscribing from myself.”
Drinking his coffee with purpose, he plasters his eyes back to the screen. Anime, please cleanse him.
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WTF?! WTF OMG SKULL EMOJI!! Cater just called him beautiful?! Did he eat something weird in Alchemy class or the Greenhouse?! Is this a prank?! Pause and quick-save, Idia can't handle this!
With a whimper, he abruptly pulls his hood up to envelop as much of his head as possible, though a majority of his hair is still hanging out the front as there is way too much to stuff in there. Maybe he should get it cut for better hiding, but that would take effort and going out... unless he just chops it short with scissors. What does he care how he looks?!
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He keeps quiet until (aside from the anime) he can’t stand the silence anymore and let’s put a loud groan.
“I’m sorry! I just wanted to have a good time hanging out with you, I swear! I’m just really tired, I’m super off right now. You must think I’m a total freak.” Cater leans back until he hits the wall, running his hands in irritation through his hair. “I feel like I keep freaking you out, but I’m not trying to, really. Somehow I just have no idea how to talk to you.”
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Finally, in a tremulous whisper, comes Idia's mortified voice: "I-- it's not like I know how to talk to anyone outside of VOIP. Text to speech is my aimbot." Since aimbots are definitely cheats, that speaks volumes over how Idia feels about needing the app. It's a crutch and he knows it, but he can't let it go.
But... he's been talking to Cater more, hasn't he?
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“And I thought I knew how to talk to everyone,” he says, thinking out loud. So why is it that around Idia he has no control over his charm?
“We really are total opposites, aren’t we?”
Except he’s getting worse while Idia is improving. How’s that for a plot twist?
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Another long pause with the sound of breathing and cheerful anime filling the gap, and Idia slowly emerges a bit from his hood. He still looks a bit like a sakura tree in full bloom. He bites his lip carefully, eyes downcast.
"Y-- you can t-- touch it if... if you want t-- to...."
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Cater swallows. Staring in thorough disbelief as his mortification with himself melts away. “I can? Srsly?”
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Buuuuut he is selfish and he’s wanted to do this for three years. Sliding over to the very edge of the bed, Cater slowly raises one hand up and reaches over.
He can feel the warmth radiating off of the strands. Time to do or die. In another YOLO movement, he commits, plunging his fingers into the glowing waves.
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"I-- it's not hot, is it...?" Idia sounds unsure, worried. His fingers fidget in his lap again, a tiny spot of blood on his lower lip from where a tooth poked too hard.
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"It comes from my family's curse," he mumbles. "Long, old story, but the whole bloodline looks like this. Helps us deal with being around blot, for our research." That's simplifying it a lot, but Idia's already burdened Cater with far more of his history than he'd ever wanted to.
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Cater’s own expression loses a bit of its glee as he twists Idia’s hair around his finger. With his gaze focused on the way the flames seem to dance, it’s easy to find himself falling down a rabbit hole of thought. They say a curse can be a blessing. Maybe that’s why this is all so incredible, but he can tell how big of a burden it is on Idia, so doesn’t try and minimize the weight of it.
“I tried to find out more about your family, but they’re pretty secretive, huh?” Certain things were known. The wealth, some of their big time affiliates. Now there were posts about the NRC incident, of course. But everything deeper was clearly kept away from the public eye.
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It goes unsaid that Idia was directly responsible for the kidnappings of the previous Overblot victims. He doesn't want to say it out loud. Hopefully Cater is smart enough to get the implications of what he's just been told, because admitting all the awful things he did isn't easy for Idia now that those people are kind of his friends.
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Not that he’s about to put himself on the same level as the Shroud.
“That sounds complicated,” he says, deciding not to try and bring up anything that might be too painful. “It’s a good thing you’re such a genius you can analyze anything. If I had that kind of responsibility I’d be an even bigger letdown! LOL.”
If he says it like it’s a joke it’s fine, right?
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Did... did he just tell Cater not to discredit his own brain?
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